Referred to as the city of agriculture thanks to the watering opportunities offered by the Atatürk Dam within the scope of the Southeastern Anatolia Project and additional investments, Şanlıurfa has been making a name for itself in greenhouse cultivation in recent years. Ornamental plant cultivation that takes place in greenhouses that use geothermal energy has become widespread.
A geothermal water source, which was discovered nearly 15 years ago in the Karaali region, makes greenhouse cultivation highly popular in the city. Some entrepreneurs who cultivate vegetables, especially truss tomatoes, began cultivating ornamental plants. According to producer Fuat Gömük, farmers in Şanlıurfa mainly cultivated tomatoes in the region for many years; however, for the last three years, they have preferred ornamental plants instead of vegetables. Stating that ornamental plants bring more profit to producers, Gömük said the rate of profit plays an important role in farmers' tendencies. He said that ornamental plants are little known by producers in southeastern Anatolia and claimed that they started to cultivate plants as they felt the need for floriculture in the region. "We thought that it is better that we produce it instead of buying it abroad. Thank God our business is good," Gömük said. The producer sends his products to various cities in Turkey as well as other countries. "We used to buy ornamental plants from Antalya, Bursa and Mersin, but now we send flowers to them," he added. Stressing that geothermal energy is a huge blessing for greenhouse cultivation, Gömük reported that the hot water brings down the cost. Currently, they are cultivating ornamental plants over 26 decares, and they intend to double the cultivated area in the upcoming year. They grow 18 different plants, including tropical plants, ivy, ficus (rubber tree) and palm lily. "We sent 15,000 plants to the Netherlands last year. We hope to increase these numbers next year," he continued. Agriculture Engineers Chamber Department Manager Ali Rıza Öztürkmen drew attention to the Southeastern Anatolia Project, saying that the project has boosted the agriculture sector. Reporting that greenhouse cultivation in the city has been increasing thanks to geothermal energy, Öztürkmen noted, "We have modern greenhouses; hence foreign investors, especially the Dutch, show interest in our city." He expressed his belief that ornamental plant cultivation will grow in the future, as it has a high rate of profit. "Therefore, we need to offer good education on plants and develop plant patterns," he concluded.
